Free of the metal hardware that so strongly defined these bathroom elements in previous decades, frameless shower doors are safe, visually light, and easy to clean.

Glass shower doors have been popular alternatives to shower curtains for decades. Both serve the same simple purpose, which is to keep the spray of water inside the tub or shower stall.

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Shower curtains are inexpensive to purchase and easy to replace, but the liners quickly get moldy (when the curtain is left open and water stays in the folds). When the curtain is pulled shut to dry out, however, the room becomes visually smaller. Both of those factors help account for the surge in popularity of shower doors. They are easy to clean, and their transparency makes even the smallest bathroom seem larger.

The shower doors you may remember from the ’70s and ’80s, with their metal frames and tracks, have largely given way to frameless models. Frameless shower doors have minimal hardware, so there are fewer places for soap or grime to build up. That makes them visually cleaner as well—all you see is a wall of glass.

Like all shower doors since the ’70s, frameless doors are made of tempered glass, which crumbles into small pieces instead of large shards, if it’s ever broken. The doors are so sturdy that breakage isn’t much of a concern, but you do want to be sure that the door is properly installed so that it closes against soft bumpers, not hard ceramic tile.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.